FINAL BILL REPORT

                                   SSB 5806

                                   C 4 L 91

                              SYNOPSIS AS ENACTED

Brief Description:  Authorizing loans and grants to preserve underground petroleum storage tanks in rural areas.

SPONSORS:Senate Committee on Transportation (originally sponsored by Senators Patterson, Matson, Hansen, Vognild, Snyder, Barr, Hayner, Newhouse, Owen, Oke, Metcalf, Jesernig, Madsen, Conner, McMullen, Sellar, Johnson, Bailey and L. Smith).

SENATE COMMITTEE ON TRANSPORTATION

HOUSE COMMITTEE ON FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS & INSURANCE

BACKGROUND:

In 1984, Congress enacted legislation to regulate underground storage tanks (UST's) containing petroleum products.  The legislation directed the Environmental Protection Agency to develop a comprehensive regulatory program governing UST's including standards for improving or upgrading UST's, correcting pollution from leaks from UST's, and for obtaining liability insurance or an acceptable insurance substitute covering liability for clean-up and third party damages.  These regulations were adopted over the past few years and compliance with various parts of the regulations is required at different times over the next eight years.  The state has adopted parallel statutory and regulatory provisions.

In large part because of the financial consequences of these statutes and regulations, many owners and operators of UST's have decided to discontinue use of UST's.  For example, many gasoline stations have been unable to afford a combination of the costs of insurance, tank replacement, and cleanup costs and have therefore chosen to close their businesses.  The closure of gasoline stations in rural areas may have the effect of limiting local community access to fuel.  Small local government entities have similarly been unable to afford compliance with environmental regulations governing UST's.  Rural hospitals which maintain backup power generators supplied by fuel from UST's also cannot afford compliance.

SUMMARY:

The director of the Pollution Liability Insurance Agency (PLIA) must establish and manage a program for providing financial assistance to public and private owners and operators of underground storage tanks (UST's) that have been certified by the governing body of the county, city, or town in which the UST's are located as meeting vital local government, public health and safety needs.  The director must consult with the Technical Advisory Committee created for the PLIA Insurance Program in adopting rules and reviewing applications for financial assistance.

Financial assistance cannot be provided unless owners and operators, including local government owners and operators, demonstrate serious financial hardship.  Assistance is limited to that amount necessary to supplement owner and operator financial resources and cannot exceed $150,000.  No more than $75,000 can be expended for cleanups.

The director may provide financial assistance only for cleanups and UST upgrades.  If it appears that cleanup costs will exceed $75,000, no financial assistance may be provided until the owner or operator develops and implements a cleanup plan with the Department of Ecology.  When requests for assistance exceed available funds, the director must give preference to assisting UST sites that constitute the sole source of petroleum products in remote rural communities.

Private owners and operators who retail petroleum products may qualify by filing an application with PLIA requesting insurance and financial assistance; by obtaining a certification from the appropriate local government entity that the continued operation of the private UST site meets vital local government, public health and safety needs; and by qualifying for PLIA insurance coverage should the assistance be granted.  The local government must find that other retailers are far from the local community and the owner or operator is capable of faithfully fulfilling promises required in exchange for assistance.

In consideration for state financial assistance, a private retailer of petroleum products must agree to sell petroleum products to the public; must maintain the UST site for retail sales for a period of 15 years; must enter into an agreement with the local government to supply petroleum products at a negotiated price on a cost-plus basis; and must maintain compliance with environmental regulations.  The agreement must be filed as a real property lien against the UST site.  If the property is transferred, the new owner and operator must comply with the agreement.  If the agreement is breached, the owner and operator who received assistance must immediately repay the state for assistance.

Local government entities may qualify for assistance by filing an application with PLIA requesting insurance and financial assistance; by producing a resolution from the appropriate governing body of a city, town, or county finding that the continued operation of the local government UST's meets vital local public health, education, or safety needs; and by qualifying for PLIA insurance should assistance be provided.  The director may authorize funding of a new local government UST site and funding for closure of existing operational UST sites if the local government is consolidating several operational sites.

Rural hospitals may qualify for assistance by filing an application with PLIA requesting insurance and financial assistance; by obtaining a certification from the appropriate local government body that the continued operation of the UST is needed for vital local health and safety needs; and by qualifying for PLIA insurance should assistance be provided.  In addition, the rural hospital must agree to provide charity care in the local community in an amount equivalent to the state assistance provided.  Such charity care must be provided over a period of time determined by the director in consultation with the Department of Health.

Revenue to fund financial assistance is provided by authorizing the director to set aside additional reserves from the petroleum products tax which funds the PLIA Insurance Program to the extent such additional reserves do not jeopardize the insurance program.  The director may immediately set aside $5 million for financial assistance. Total funding for the assistance program cannot exceed $15 million.

VOTES ON FINAL PASSAGE:

Senate      43    0

House 94    0     (House amended)

Senate      49    0     (Senate concurred)

EFFECTIVE:  March 29, 1991